Music-leaf turner



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

A RAMSEYER MusioLeaf Turner.

No. 229,554. Patented July 6,1880.

ATTORNEY N-PETEREi, PHOTO-UTHDGRAPHER. WASHINGTON. D C.

(No Model.) 2-Sheets-Sheet 2.

' A. RAMSEYER.

Music Leaf Turner,

N 229,554. Patented July 6,1880.

0 0 A P I :05! Q '25; I z i E o 9 a .7 "o

7 E/ 0' o I 0 0 q I ATTORNEY N PETERSIEHOTO-LITHOGKAPHER. WASHINGTON. D, C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ABRAHAM RAMSEYER, OF LIMA, OHIO.

MUSIC-LEAF TURNER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 229,554, dated July 6, 1880.

Application filed March 19, 1880.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ABRAHAM RAMSEYER, of Lima, in the county of Allen and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Music-Leaf Turners; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use it, reference beinghad to the accompanyingdrawings,which form part of this specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in music-leaf turners, and is designed to provide a leaf-turner which shall be easy and simple of constructiomtherehy doing away with the complicated mechanism now in use for this purpose, of light weight, enabling it to be readily attached to and removed from the piano-desk, adapted to be operated by the musician at the instrument without interrupting his performance, and which may be furnished to the trade at a comparatively light cost.

With these ends in view, my invention consists in certain features of construction and combination of parts, as will hereinafter be described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a view, in perspective, of my improved leafturner, representing it in operative use attached to a piano-desk, and with the leaf-turning fingers placed between the leaves of a music-book, and ready to be manipulated as the performer at the instrument may desire to turn them. Fig. 2 is a view in vertical trans verse section, showing the manner in which I attach the rotary drum to the drum-supporting block, also the way in which I attach the actuating-arm to the rotary drum and the means employed for transmitting the motion imparted to the rotary drum by the actuating-arm to the 1eaf-turning fingers. Fig. 3 is a plan view, looking down on the device from a point above, with a portion of the musicrest broken away to show the arrangement of the leaf-turning finger-posts. Fig. 4 is a back view, showing the means employed to secure the device to the desk of a piano. Fig. 5

is a rear view of my leaf-turner, showing the leaf-turning finger-posts and. their bearingplates; and Fig. 6 is a detached view of a leafturning finger such as are used in my device.

(No model.)

In Fig. 1, A represents the upright portion of a pianodesk, andB thelower portion thereof, running parallel with the key-board.

It will be observed that the upright A and the lower portion, B, of the piano-desk are not secured at right angles with each other, for the reason that it would be both difficult and inconvenient to place the music-book in a ver tical position, but are joined together at an angle of about fifty degrees, which will be a sufficient inclination to place the book in an easy position for the performer to read therefrom, and where, also, it may be easily governed by him.

On the piano-desk I place my improved music-leaf turner, the frame-work of which consists of four pieces-the drum support ng block 0, brackets E E, and the musicrest I) which, with a system of drums, actuating-arms, leaf-turning fingers, and their connections, constitute my invention.

The U-shaped drum-supporting block 0 is placed midway of the lower portion of the piano-desk B, with its broad side outward, facing the performer at the instrument, and with its narrow side toward and against the upright portion A of the piano-desk. At each extremity of this drum-supporting block, and upon its upper face, are immovably secured two brackets or supports, E E, to which is attached the music-rest D through apertures d d d, through which pass the leaf-turning fingers e c c.

It will be seen that the different pieces of the frame-work of my device are of such form and so arranged with reference to each other that they exactly fit into the angle formed by the upright A and lower portions, B, of the piano-desk, thus preserving the desired inclination of the music-book.

To the U-shaped block 0 are attached, at suitable distances from each other, three or more drums, F F F, which have rotary movement on their retaining pillars or posts fff. These pillars or posts maybe passed through the block 0 and riveted on the under side thereof, or formed screw-threaded. Actuatingarms ac to, through the medium of which motion is imparted to the leaf-turning fingers e e e, are directly attached to the revolving drums F F F in any suitable manner.

. imparted to the drum to the post.

In Fig. 2 of the drawings I have shown an actuating-arm made of wire,flattened at one end, and the portion so flattened provided with two apertures, I) I), through which are passed screws or rivets, thus securing the arm to the upper face of the drum. The arms project forward over the key-board sufficient] y far to allow of their free manipulation without striking that portion of the piai'lo-frame above the key-board, and are then curved down to within a short distance of the keys, in order that the arms may be readily pushed to the right or left, as maybe desired, in turning the leaves of a music-book, a wrist movement often suflicin g, the rotary drums and leaf-turning finger-posts being of such relative size and connected by such gearing that the handle of the actuating-arm need pass through only a small arc of a circle to impart suflicient rotary moy'ement to the drum to turn the leaf-turning fingers. The arms may terminate in any suitable knob or handle.

An annular groove, 0, is formed in the periphery of the drum F, to retain the cord or wire connection 0 with the finger-turning post in place; and, further, to keep the wire from slipping on the drum, it is secured thereto with a staple, as at o in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

In the drum-supporting block 0 a chamber is recessed at H and provided with a steel plate, h, upon which the lower ends of the finger-turning posts G G G have broad bearin g. Over this chamber H is secured another plate, (designated by H,) preferably let in flush with the surface of the drum-supporting block (3 and secured thereto by screws h h. This plate is provided with as many circular apertures g g g as there are leat turning fingerposts, which latter pass through these apertures and have broad bearing on the plate h.

On the under side of the music-rest D is securely fastened a plate, I having apertures 'i i i, which register with the apertures gg g in the plate H. The leaf-turning finger posts, passing through the apertures g g g in plate H and through the aperturesi i i in plate I, are thus secured rigidly in vertical position with free rotary movement, their lower ends having broad bearing on the plate h and their upper ends impinging against the plate I, secured to and let in flush with the upper face of themusic-restD, whichlatter plate has apertures d d d, not sufliciently large to admit the leaf-turning posts, but only to expose the square socket formed in the upper end of the leaf-turning finger-posts and running parallel with their length, into which socket the ends of the fingers cc 0 are inserted and withdrawn at pleasure.

The leaf-turning finger-posts are, further, each pierced with an aperture at right angles to and midwayof their length. Through these apertures m m m are passed the connecting wire or cord 0, which transmits the motion The wire or cord is passed around the post a number of times, according to the size of the revolving drum, the size of the post, and the distance through which the fingers are to pass.

The turning-fingers c c c are made of wire, the portion thereof that turns the leaf being formed in a wavy line, thereby presenting a broader bearing surface to the leaf, enabling it to be easily turned without interfering with or obscuring the page of music upon which it rests after being turned from the right to the left hand side of the book.

The end M of the leaf-turning finger (which is shown in detached view in Fig. 6 is made square that it may fit into the square socket in the end of theleaf-turning finger-post.

To secure my improved leaf-turning device to a piano or organ desk, I perforate the upright A of the desk at O O, and through these perforations pass the posts 0 0, provided with an annular flange at their outer ends. These posts are screwed into or in other manner attached to the rear ends of the brackets E E. The leaf-turning device being put upon the piano-desk, it is moved up close to the upright A, the posts 0 0 passing through the perforations in the upright and extending out beyond the rear face far enough to allow of being keyed by the key 19.

Heretofore music leaf turners have been very complicated in construction, unwieldy, and diflicult to attach to an instrument, and their systems of gearing and motive springs requiring great nicety of adjustment to their successfuloperation. On account of this compleXity of construction they are very liable to become inoperative, and consequently a source of great annoyance, and have met with but little favor from the profession.

It is thought that by my invention I have obviated these objections by constructing a leaf-turner light, portable, and easily attached to and removed from a piano, simple in coir struction, with no motive power but the hand, and by that means so easily manipulated by the performer that the leaves of a music-book may be turned while executing the most difficult compositions without interruption or delay.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a music-leaf turner, the frame work formed of a drum-supporting block, to the upper face of which two brackets are secured, which support the music-book rest, together with actuatin g-arms attached to rotary drums, which are connected by suitable gearing to vertical posts having free rotary movement, and into sockets formed in the upper ends of which the leaf-turning fingers are removably secured, substantially as set forth.

2. In a music-leaf turner, the combination, with a drum having rotary movement 011 and secured to the drum-supporting block by a pivot or screw, of an actuating-arm attached to the upper face of the rotary drum, and brought down over the key-board of a piano IIO or organ in a position to be readily actuated by the performer, and wire or cord gearing to transmit the motion imparted to the rotary drum by the actuating-arm to the leaf-turning fin ger-posts, substantially as set forth.

3. In a music-leaf turner, the combination, with a rotary drum pivoted to the drum-supporting block, and to which movement is directly imparted by the actuating-arm operated by the performer, of an annular groove formed in the periphery of the rotary drum to admit the wire or cord which transmits the motion to the leaf-turning posts, and which wire is prevented from slipping on the drum by a staple situated in the front portion thereof, substantially as set forth.

4. In a music-leaf turner, the combination, with a drum-supporting block recessed on its upper face and midway of the block, said recess provided with a metal floor, forming a bearing for the leaf-turning posts, of a metal plate placed over the chamber, secured to the block, and flush therewith, which latter plate is provided with apertures, into which the leaf-turning posts fit and have free rotary movement therein, substantially as set forth.

5. In a music-leaf turner, the combination, with the music-rest piece, of a metal plate secured midway of its under face, and provided with apertures which register with the apertures formed inthe plate secured to and flush with the drum-supportin g block, and into which two sets of apertures the leaf-turnin g posts fit, being retained in rigid vertical adjustment and having free rotary movement therein, substan tially as set forth.

6. In a music-leaf turner, a set of leaf-turning posts rigidly secured in vertical adjustment and having free rotary movement, their lower ends having broad bearing on the metal floor of the recessed chamber in the drum-supporting block, and their upper ends impinging against a plate secured to the upper face and midway of the music-rest piece, which latter 7. In a music-leaf turner, the vertical posts v having free rotary movement, and provided with apertures at right angles to their length, through which pass the wires or cords which transmit motion tothem from the rotary drums.

8. In amusic-leaf turner,a leaf-turning arm, the portion thereof resting upon the leaf being formed in a wavy line, enabling it to obtain greater purchase on the leaf and without obscuring the musical composition, its lower end made square to fit snugly in the socket formed in the upper end of the vertical leafturning post, all combined and arranged to operate substantially as set forth.

9. The method of attaching a music-leaf turner to the desk of a piano or organ, which consists in securing two pillars with annular flanges on their outer and free ends to the rear ends of the music-rest-supporting brack ets, passing these pillars through perforations in the piano or organ desk, and locking both pillars by a metal key, substantially as set forth.

10. In a music-leaf turner, the combination, with a series of drums having laterally-pro jecting arms, of flexible connection with a se ries of vertically-adjusted posts having free rotary movement, the upper ends of which latter being adapted to receive a series of leafturning fingers, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing 1 have hereunto set my hand this 8th day of March, 1880.

ABRAHAM RAMSEYER.

Witnesses:

Gno. FEL'rz, J OHN MEYER. 

